Eurich Family History

Family Origin

The Eurich family has been traced back to two villages in Hesse, Germany
in the 1600s. The primary village was Dudelsheim, where the most church
book records were found. There were also references to one line residing/originating
in Udenhain.

There appear to be two distinct family lines in Dudelsheim, however
it not known if they are related. One family is listed as Eurich in the
church books and the other as "Eyering". It is unknown if this was
primarily a difference in name pronunciation and recording by the church
pastor, as was somewhat common , or whether they were two entirely unrelated
families.

Emigration Information

Members of both families emigrated to Russia in 1767 during Catherine
the Great's colonization period. They chose to leave the desperate economic
conditions in Hesse in favor of the promises of freedom and prosperity
under Catherine's Manifesto.

Both families became known as Eurich in the Russian records. The Eurichs
primarily resided in the village of Balzer in Russia. One branch of the
family developed in Kukkus in later years after a son moved to that village.

Many family members in turn emigrated to America between 1875 and ~1915
to avoid the Russification process where all German customs and privileges
began to be taken away.

Gottfried Eurich (b1820) and his son Gottfried Eurich (b1853) were important
participants in starting the emigration exodus from Russia to America.
In 1873 young Gottfried was sent by his father, along with some other young
men from the village, to act as scouts to find suitable land in America.
Upon their return to Russia, Gottfried took several of his children's families
and left for America in what soon became a mass exodus of "Germans from
Russia".

Passport - Sample of passport used to leave
Russia for America in 1887 by one of Gottfried's son's (Conrad) wife and
three children.